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Who's used the Audiophile Optimizer for Windows 2012 Server or Windows 8?


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Hi, Ya’all

After quite some time of reading this thread about Audiophile Optimizer, I’ve decide to write my first post here. After more than two months of playing, trying, listening of different types of settings I finally came to conclusion/solution that’s suits my taste... But first things first… Thank you Phill for such a great product/solution for computer based systems!

I had problems from beginning setting my computer for streaming audio to my DAC. Every question sent to Phill considering those issues were answered in incredibly short time and that was way before I even said I’m willing to purchase AO. Highest level of professionalism I haven’t encountered in a long time…

Phill helped me starting with driver installation and with all needed advices regarding server setup. Thanx a million, Phill !

My first mail sent to Phill was somewhere in June and I bought AO late in September… after some 40+ mails we sent to each other and plenty of advices I received from Phill, I was ready for final step in setting audio system…

In my system with singlePC setup which is simple and minimal, component-wise, I found that best sound for me is with following settings:

OS: Windows Server 2012 R2

 

Sound Signature: X (Windows Default)

Digital-Filter Mode: X (Windows Default)

 

High precision event timer (HPET): enabled

Structured Exception Handling Overwrite Protection (SEHOP): enabled

Software Protection Service: enabled

WASAPI/MMCSS Optimization: NO

SCSI-MiniPort drivers disabled: YES

USB Optimization enabled: YES

Drivers and Services disabled: YES

Plug and Play service: disabled

AMD CPU/SATA drivers: disabled

Remote Desktop services: enabled

Remote Management services: disabled

Netowrk related services: enabled

Windows Management Instrumentation: disabled

(this setup gives: 30 process; 331 threads; cca 8900 handles)

 

I’m still in GUI mode and that is because I never use TC before and don’t know how to play music or import albums with it. My music is on an external HDD. Even setting a library in JRiver is a bit complicated task for me because I never could set it the way I use to it ( list of folders with authors/albums…) saw somewhere that is easy but still didn’t try it. Unfortunately not enough time for everything…

Comparing KS and ASIO:

Reading this post many of you are using KS as a better, more direct way between PC and DAC. But in my case with ASIO sound is much more open. Cymbals have more (longer) decay…Soundstage is resolving with more air between instruments and all that with full bodied sound… I stayed with ASIO. (KS sounded much more darker or quieter, less lively… )

SS/DF:

This was a hard one… After a month of trying A-D/1-4, at the end I realize that X/X is best sounding in my system… at least coloration of any kind…

No emphasizing… just a “flat” sound… equal amount of low, mid and high tones in any of listened recordings that I used for testing. To me, that sounded like most natural sound…

-guitar strings sounded precise, sharp, crisp, detailed…

-double bass/ electric bass sounded deep but focused and resolving

- Drums sounded clear, stayed behind but with authority and every hit was powerful but not overtaking the rest of soundstage..

-vocals sounded “real” with clearly audible inhaling/exhaling and breathing while singing

- piano is complex instrument.. a combination of percussion( hummer and pedals) and string instrument (simplified explanation, maybe not the accurate one) sounded clear, filling the room.. Great presence of all instruments and vocals overall…

Sound never sounded fatiguing in any moment no matter witch type of music was playing, and it was “full bodied” sound all time

Music used:

*Stevie Ray Vaughn:

-Couldn’t Stand The Weather SACD ISO

-The Sky Is Crying SACD ISO

-In Step SACD ISO

*Manu Katche – Neighborhood

*Brian Bromberg – Wood

*Vlatko Stefanovski & Miroslav Tadic – Krusevo

*Patricia Barber:

- Modern Cool (MFSL) SACD

-Nightclub (MFSL) SACD

- Verse (MFSL) SACD

-Companion (MFSL) SACD

* Jacintha

- Jacintha - Autumn Leaves [XRCD2]

- Jacintha Goes To Hollywood

- Jacintha - Here's To Ben (1999) (XRCD)

*Isao Suzuki :

- Ako’s Dream (TBM) XRCD

-Black Orpheus

-Blow Up (TBM) XRCD

* Tsuyoshi Yamamoto:

- Misty XRCD (TBM)

- Girl Talk (TBM)

-Speak Low

- Midnight Sugar (TBM) XRCD

- Autumn In Seattle (TBM) XRCD

* Anouar Brahem – Astounding eyes of Rita (ECM)

* Rabih Abou – Khalil

- Journey To The Centre Of An Egg (ENJA)

- Morton’s Foot (ENJA)

Sumary:

AO is a great product. In my system changes it made were clearly and audibly noticeable. Nothing like a “wow” effect but it did put a smile on my face. Records sounded less digital, more analog like… noise floor was lowered down. Sound stage is little better. More air between instruments. All in all much more enjoyable sound overall. Does it worth $130? Absolutely!

Thank you Phill!

Regards

Marko

 

Markol: Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I am just up and running with AO and trying to find the best digital sound. I kept the filter at default but switched to 1. Somehow, I am feeling the that X was better though. I am not using redbook material (trackes from HD track and couple of AAC and flac tracks. But definitely can say that AO brings an amount of clarity that I really like.

 

Ahmed

Reference -> WIIM Pro Plus powered by Larry's HDPlex-> CA DacMagic Plus -> AudioResearch DS225 Audioquest XLR -> Sonus Faber Olympica 2 Kimber Speaker Wire

Family Room -> ALOO DIGIONE -> SPDF-> Onkyo TX-NR609 -> 7.1 In Wall Polk Audio SVS Sub (Home Theatre)

Living Room-> BlueSound NODE Gen3-> Carver THX Amp -> NHT Zero + SVS SB-1000 (LivingRoom)

 

 

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Phil et el:

Thank you so much for creating such a vibrant product. it had made a great deal of difference in the quality that I am getting from my music pc. Taking the cue from the support forum in jplay.eu, I had set 4D as SS and DF in AO and as Phil said, it added a lot of body to the music. I have a home pc with Gigabyte GA-MA785GM-US2H, Athlon ll x2/250 CPU, 4 GB Ram with Antec case, WD green 1 TB HD, Corsair 128 GB SSD and liteon Blu ray drive. My original intention was to create a HTPC to watch movies, stream, torrent etc but that was 4 years ago. I have drunk AO coolaid and now use this rig only as music pc. I am hoping some of you can comment on if I should be making more tweaks on what I am already enjoying fabulously due to AO. My music is still 50% MP3, so these days I am primarily dependent on Tidal (wimp) in States to get audiophile music. My music server is Foobar 2k with ASIO and I have checked to use the 64 bit drivers. Observation and tweak requests are:-

1. My PC never logged less then 2 GB for RAM even I was using Win7 64 bit and the CPU was always in the 50% range as I was running Plex on the same box. After AO, I see the RAM at 400 MB or so and the CPU utilization is less then 10%. I am running in the GUI mode and have RDC enabled, even though it does not work. I would need to trouble shoot further as I have a static IP assigned to the built in NIC. My question is, should I try to move to the CORE mode from here? Would that lower, I guess any kind of ripple that I still have?

There is a learning curve obviously using the Powershell and command prompt, but I can get used to it.

2. Phil mentioned in the PDF to use the best kind of SATA cable which I have not. What are the recommendations for those?

3. Phil mentioned to use smaller partitions and SSD. When I was installing Win12R2, the installer would allow me to install on the SSD, even though it was GPT. I just went ahead and installed on the HDD after trouble shooting for 15 mins. So my primary partition is I think 200 GB on HDD and I had copied all of my music on the SSD. But as I said, my primary source of music will be Tidal. Question is, should I try to reinstall on the SSD?

4. I see some of you use a network isolator. My network is CAT6 with 3 gigabyte switches as well as the main Wifi route supports Gigabyte connectivity as well as the Cable modem wan link is a Gigabyte port. The music pc is connected through the realtec built in NIC but I was never able to get Gigabyte throughput out of that. There is plenty of discussion on how to sovle that but it never worked. So do you think, I should look at a network isolator?

5. I have seen in CA about using a USB noise reducer type gizmo which connects with usb between pc and DAC. Should I be looking at that?

 

I had posted in the JPLAY forum as well but hoping to get some feedback from CA users.

 

Thanks,

Ahmed

Reference -> WIIM Pro Plus powered by Larry's HDPlex-> CA DacMagic Plus -> AudioResearch DS225 Audioquest XLR -> Sonus Faber Olympica 2 Kimber Speaker Wire

Family Room -> ALOO DIGIONE -> SPDF-> Onkyo TX-NR609 -> 7.1 In Wall Polk Audio SVS Sub (Home Theatre)

Living Room-> BlueSound NODE Gen3-> Carver THX Amp -> NHT Zero + SVS SB-1000 (LivingRoom)

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Phil:

Have you posted the new 1.31 out there. If not, can you please send me the link for the beta vesion.

Thanks,

Ahmed

Reference -> WIIM Pro Plus powered by Larry's HDPlex-> CA DacMagic Plus -> AudioResearch DS225 Audioquest XLR -> Sonus Faber Olympica 2 Kimber Speaker Wire

Family Room -> ALOO DIGIONE -> SPDF-> Onkyo TX-NR609 -> 7.1 In Wall Polk Audio SVS Sub (Home Theatre)

Living Room-> BlueSound NODE Gen3-> Carver THX Amp -> NHT Zero + SVS SB-1000 (LivingRoom)

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Issue: Network connection not available after an installation of AO on a PC with double NIC and MS NIC teaming enabled.

Network adapters:-

1. Intel PWLA8391GTBLK PRO/1000 GT Desktop Network Adapter

2. Onboard RTL111C adapter

Steps:-

1. Perform a fresh install of Windows 2012 R2 GUI mode

2. Install the USB driver for your DAC, in my case CA Dac Magic Plus and make sure it is working

3. Make sure that NICs are identified and assigned IP Addresses. In my case, I had assigned a static IP to the onboard RTL NIC and have the DHCP assigned an IP to the Intel NIC

4. Create a NIC team using the server manager

5. Install AO. AO quickly reboots the machine and the network connectivity is gone

Workaround:

1. Delete NIC teaming from the server manager GUI

2. Optional, disable one of the NIC. I will be disabling the on board NIC from the BIOS

Observation:

One of the key issue could still be not having a proper driver for INTEL NIC for Windows 2012. I think this has been discussed in another thread.

Reference -> WIIM Pro Plus powered by Larry's HDPlex-> CA DacMagic Plus -> AudioResearch DS225 Audioquest XLR -> Sonus Faber Olympica 2 Kimber Speaker Wire

Family Room -> ALOO DIGIONE -> SPDF-> Onkyo TX-NR609 -> 7.1 In Wall Polk Audio SVS Sub (Home Theatre)

Living Room-> BlueSound NODE Gen3-> Carver THX Amp -> NHT Zero + SVS SB-1000 (LivingRoom)

 

 

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One other note that I was trying to install the very latest Beta but I ran into this issue before when I installed AO 1.30.

Reference -> WIIM Pro Plus powered by Larry's HDPlex-> CA DacMagic Plus -> AudioResearch DS225 Audioquest XLR -> Sonus Faber Olympica 2 Kimber Speaker Wire

Family Room -> ALOO DIGIONE -> SPDF-> Onkyo TX-NR609 -> 7.1 In Wall Polk Audio SVS Sub (Home Theatre)

Living Room-> BlueSound NODE Gen3-> Carver THX Amp -> NHT Zero + SVS SB-1000 (LivingRoom)

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

Congratulations to you Phil and the family!

Reference -> WIIM Pro Plus powered by Larry's HDPlex-> CA DacMagic Plus -> AudioResearch DS225 Audioquest XLR -> Sonus Faber Olympica 2 Kimber Speaker Wire

Family Room -> ALOO DIGIONE -> SPDF-> Onkyo TX-NR609 -> 7.1 In Wall Polk Audio SVS Sub (Home Theatre)

Living Room-> BlueSound NODE Gen3-> Carver THX Amp -> NHT Zero + SVS SB-1000 (LivingRoom)

 

 

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  • 1 year later...

Phil:

There is an upgrade fee, right for going from v1.4+ to 2.0. I am just trying to make sure that I am getting the right page for download.

 

Ahmed

Reference -> WIIM Pro Plus powered by Larry's HDPlex-> CA DacMagic Plus -> AudioResearch DS225 Audioquest XLR -> Sonus Faber Olympica 2 Kimber Speaker Wire

Family Room -> ALOO DIGIONE -> SPDF-> Onkyo TX-NR609 -> 7.1 In Wall Polk Audio SVS Sub (Home Theatre)

Living Room-> BlueSound NODE Gen3-> Carver THX Amp -> NHT Zero + SVS SB-1000 (LivingRoom)

 

 

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